Carrolton Garage Pros

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HOW TO MAKE
YOUR GARAGE DOOR LAST
AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

Keep your garage door in tiptop shape. Ordinarily, we don’t think much about our garage door, but the fact is, it plays a significant role in your property’s value and curb appeal. Resolving that you’re going to install an entirely new garage door is a major purchase and a big decision. Or, it is often wiser simply to keep the garage door you have now, and properly maintain it responsibly, so that it will stay in good condition for many years. In all probability, you’ll keep it working and looking as excellent as you can, for as long as you can.

These days, garage doors are of superior quality than they were decades ago. They’re manufactured following much stricter safety standards. A prime-quality garage door provides an effective barrier for optimized reduction of heat transfer into your garage. The door sections of extraordinary-quality garage doors are painstakingly tested and offer better warranties.

With normal wear and tear, how long is your garage door going to last? It depends. First, the manufacturer lists an official estimate in your manual. In addition, if your garage door’s materials are of maximum quality, your garage door is likely to last considerably longer than average.

Particularly if your garage is also an office, shop, or game room, you’ll need to have a more well-maintained garage, which means starting with a garage door that’s solid and durable. The truth is, your garage door is the biggest operating appliance of your household, so it’s important to keep it in working condition.

Follow a regular maintenance schedule. Stick to a schedule for upkeep of your garage door, recommended by the majority of expert garage door technicians. For utmost safety, do a monthly inspection of the components of your garage door system. Replace worn-out parts, and tighten loose bolts. If you notice any strange noises when your garage door shuts or opens, don’t procrastinate; investigate! If you discover any issues with springs, pulleys, wires, and cables, professional attention is necessary. Moreover, you should schedule an annual inspection with a dependable local garage door repair company.

It’s worth the time and effort required to maintain your garage door, and you’ll save money overall. You won’t spend a lot on repairs, and you won’t have to replace it for a good number of years.

Keep it lubricated. Garage door springs usually last for about ten years. The typical reasons garage door repair is needed are broken springs and cables. To do everything you can to prevent the necessity for repairs, be sure to lubricate your garage door springs, rollers, and hinges.

Without lubrication, your garage door springs will rust, and sooner or later the coils will bind. Don’t use anything too heavy, or it will attract grime and dirt. A light coating is all you need.

Most garage door professional technicians will tell you to keep the springs lubricated annually, before winter arrives; some say to lubricate every three months. In any case, it won’t dry out if you choose a top brand.

You can also do your part to lengthen the life of your garage door opener. Most garage door openers last around twenty years. Regularly examine the opener's main gear: Open the case, and lubricate the main gear with white lithium grease.

Keep it balanced. Take a look at your garage door’s balance twice a year:

1. Disconnect your garage door from the opener, to operate it by hand: Pull on the rope hanging from the opener to disconnect the door, so you can lift it up manually.

2. Your owner's manual will instruct you on how to reattach the garage door to the garage door opener.

3. Your garage door should balance at about three or four feet above the floor. If the door’s too heavy, if there's any resistance, or it doesn't remain all the way up, the spring requires adjusting, so call a garage door expert.

Keep it working.

2. Check the automatic reversing garage door opener feature: As the door goes on its way down, grasp it to give it a little resistance, and see if it reverses. If it doesn't, then a garage door expert needs to adjust the opener's sensitivity.

3. If your garage door isn’t reversing, or if you discover additional issues, hire a garage door professional to inspect, adjust, repair, or replace whatever is needed.

Keep it safe. Regularly examine the garage door's safety features: Wave in front of the electronic eyes to test the safety sensors. The garage door should go back up every time the beam is broken.

Be cautious! DON’T ATTEMPT to adjust the spring tension of your garage door yourself, unless you’re an engineer! Only an eminently qualified garage door technician can carry out the servicing necessary properly. Your garage door springs pack a big punch, so if not appropriately adjusted, repaired or replaced, they can cause serious injury, and even be deadly. Along with the garage door springs, the bottom brackets (to which the cables are attached), the drums, and the cables, are all under great pressure.

Keep it clean. The garage door will last longer when you wash it thoroughly, front and back, at least annually, with a sponge and clean water with mild dish soap. Rinse it well. Don’t neglect the garage door opener sensor eyes: Use a clean, dry cloth. Keep the area around the sensors free of dirt and cobwebs.

Do you have a steel garage door? At minimum, wash it every two years. For added cold-weather protection, put on car wax.

Do you have a wooden garage door? If there are any signs of chipping or peeling, you’ll maintain maximum curb appeal by applying a nice, fresh coat of paint.

If any garage door components require adjustment or replacement, hire a topnotch local garage door repair company you can count on. If you’re anywhere in Carrolton, Georgia, consider hiring a dependable company such as the aptly named Carrolton Garage Pros.